February 13, Ash Wednesday

I hate to suffer in silence. Whether it’s a physical hurt or some disappointment when I don’t get my way, I want others to at least be aware of, if not share in, my pain. Lucky then that Jesus doesn’t include my tendency in His list of undesirable behaviors in today’s Gospel.

Except, I fear that when Jesus tells His disciples to perform righteous deeds, pray and give alms in private — rather than by calling a press conference or posting it on the Internet — He’s also talking about my desire for shared suffering. Obviously I need to change the way I behave. Lent is a good time to start. Maybe after 40 days I’ll let this habit die so that a better one can arise.